Storm at Babylon
by MoonOfBlue
Summary: While the hotel has been put on standby by a autumn storm, Gino tries to cheer up an unlucky, female guest. But they end up becoming a little more than just friends... Possibly Gino/OC.


_'Okay, I admit it – this story started out just as an excuse to write some Gino-fluff. Hotel Babylon is my new guilty pleasure and I love his character *heart* (: So please tell me, if I should write some more…_

_And please bear with my grammar mistakes – I'm not native English ;)_

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**PROLOGUE**

It was one of those days at Hotel Babylon: A ghastly grey, wet and windy Thursday afternoon in November, where time stood still and the highlight of the day had been the drunken homeless bloke falling asleep behind hotel concierge Tony's desk, scaring the living crap out of him.

Ben Trueman, head receptionist, stared gloomily out into the rain. The weather forecast had predicted a brisk autumn storm the following day and some of the guests had already cancelled. They hadn't had a check-in in two hours!

Ben sighed heavily. Oh, how he _hated_ this time of year, just before the Christmas rush hour, when it sometimes felt like working in an isolated bubble of pure boredom. It was enough to drive anybody nuts.

"Wanna play tic-tac-toe?" Mel asked carefully to the right of him.

Ben turned to scowl at his fellow receptionist, red-head Melanie Hughes. He just couldn't help it: This weather was able to find the worst in him.

"No, I don't want to play a children's game," he said sourly. "What wouldn't the guests think?"

"Aw, come on." She smiled. "The next guest won't arrive until four o'clock."

Ben straightened. That reminded him…

"Gino!" he whispered loudly, leaning over the desk and waving like mad, to catch the attention of the head barman. The bar was nearly empty, so it didn't take long to summon him to the front desk.

"What's going on?" Gino asked in his heavy, Spanish accent.

"You have the champagne ready for the four o'clock guest, right?" Ben asked. "Her boyfriend is loaded and he wants everything to be perfect, by the time he arrives tonight."

Gino puffed out his golden chest, his pride hurt. "Of course. What kind of forgetful fool, do you think me of?"

Ben didn't intentionally answer that.

"And James?" he asked instead. "Is he ready too? Mr. Higlander has ordered a huge meal for the girlfriend, by the time she arrives."

Gino wrinkled his dark brows, already on his way back to the bar. "I don't know 'bout Mr. Posh guy." He said over his shoulder. "I'm not his messenger boy."

"Oh, fine!" Ben exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I'll go ask him myself."

But before he could leave the desk, Mel had grabbed him by the arm. Outside, a limo so long they couldn't see the end, nor the beginning of it, had pulled up and one of the doormen was already ready by the door.

"Oh, it's her!" Mel whispered. "Blimey, what a car!"

Ben shook her hand away, smoothing his suit.

"Pull yourself together," he hissed at her and Mel straightened like a soldier coming to attention next to him. "That's it."

They both waited in quiet anticipation, as the doorman opened the car door and the woman stepped out. For a moment, the shuffling bellboy was covering their view, but then…

"Oh," Mel said, sounding disappointed. Ben couldn't blame her. It wasn't some glamour queen walking through the door. Not even close. It was Plain Jane: A young women in her early thirties with a bush of reddish-brown soft curled hair, dressed in jeans and a simple top.

"Hi," she said, with a genuine smile, as she reached the front desk. "Laura Engle. Daniel Highlander has made a reservation until Sunday."

Ben gave her his brightest smile in return. "Of course, madam. Just a moment…"

While he was tapping on the computer, he watched out of the corner of his eyes. She was discreetly admiring the foyer, her eyes shining like a little girl on Christmas morning. He frowned.

Okay, she was almost good-looking up close, with blushing cheeks and sparkling, green eyes like a bottle of Pisang Ambon. But this Daniel-guy must be a sucker for the inside beauty.

"There you go, madam," Ben said, flashing his smile again, as he handed her the key. "Room 407. I hope you'll enjoy your stay."

She thanked them both and gave them tips, before walking to the elevator with the bellboy at her heels. Ben leaned forward, when Juliet, the hotel manager, who had spotted her from her office, came into the foyer and greeted her and her boyfriend's money welcome.

The young woman looked other bewildered by all the attention.

"Oh, I do love a girl like her," Mel said joyfully, when they had all disappeared into the elevator. "She gives us all hope, doesn't she?"

Ben just scoffed. She better had to – they had just accommodated her in one of the best suits in the hotel.


End file.
